Society’s Global Appetite for Technology Accelerates Climate Change and E-Wastes

Originally aired July 8, 2021

Co-hosted by SSF and the Global Electronics Council, this 90-minute webinar examines the staggering environmental cost of our global appetite for technology — from e-waste and toxic supply chains to the carbon footprint of data and devices. The panel explores how sustainable and circular procurement practices can harness institutional purchasing power to drive the technology sector toward net-zero energy and planet-friendlier products.

Speakers

Mathis Wackernagel

Founder & President, Global Footprint Network; Co-Creator, Ecological Footprint

Mathis Wackernagel is the co-creator of the Ecological Footprint and President of Global Footprint Network. Using data to measure human impacts on nature and biocapacity, he has worked with governments, corporations, and international NGOs on six continents and lectured at more than 100 universities. He previously directed the Sustainability Program at Redefining Progress and founded the Centro de Estudios para la Sustentabilidad at Anáhuac University in Mexico.

Reinier Guijt

Senior Policymaker, Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management

Reinier Guijt promotes sustainable public procurement in the Netherlands and internationally, using government spending as a tool to achieve sustainability goals, advance the circular economy, and fight climate change. He is an Organizing Member of the Circular & Fair ICT Pact (CFIT) under the UN One Planet Network’s Sustainable Public Procurement Programme, and frequently translates complex policy into clear public communications.

Nancy Gillis (Moderator)

Chief Executive Officer, Global Electronics Council

Nancy Gillis is the CEO of the Global Electronics Council, a mission-driven nonprofit that drives institutional demand for sustainable and circular technology products and services worldwide. GEC manages EPEAT, the leading global ecolabel for IT products. For over 20 years, Gillis has leveraged sustainability to increase competitiveness, reduce risk, and foster innovation across public and private sector organizations.